The emotional pain and trauma suffered by children who are abused and neglected often troubles them throughout their lives

Signs to watch for:

Children who are physically abused may:

Be nervous around adults.

Be watchful, as though preparing for something bad to happen.

Have difficulty playing.

Act aggressively toward adults and other children.

Be unable to concentrate at school.

Suddenly underachieve – or overachieve – at school.

Find it difficult to trust other people and make friends.

Arrive at school too early or leave after the other children

Children who are sexually abused may:

Behave differently when the abuse starts.

Care less about their appearance or their health.

Talk or act sexually at too early an age.

Be secretive and stop talking about home life.

Start soiling themselves.

Be unable to sleep.

Suddenly find physical contact frightening.

Children who are neglected or emotionally abused may:

Have difficulty learning to talk.

Find it hard to develop close relationships.

Be overly friendly with strangers.

Be unable to play imaginatively.

Think badly of themselves.

Underachieve at school.

Remember: None of these signs proves that child maltreatment is present, since any of them may be noticeable at one time or another. But when they occur repeatedly or in combination with one another, the child may be suffering abuse.